Reformation Faith Today

for the recovery and propagation of the faith of the reformation

April 30, 2008 • 6:53 pm 1

Me, Myself and I (deuce)

I posted a few months ago about pronouns (though am still wondering if anyone really cares). If you would like to see us cease these kind of posts, please feel free to let Randy, Rob or myself know.

Catch that? Surely you did. Sadly it happens all the time. Just today I was listening to Sean Hannity while driving to Chicago. I like Hannity’s radio show. I think he is so right on politics. I recommend him. But here is what I heard by Sean (paraphrased with my editorial comments in [ ]:

So come on out [to a Hannity live event] and see Col. Oliver North [an American hero], the great one [Mark Levine] and myself.

Class…what is wrong with that sentence? That’s right. The improper use of a reflexive pronoun. Yes, we’ve all done it. But I think it’s time we get it right. So in the interest of helping us all…keep reading. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: General, by Les

• 6:09 am 1

The Fear of God

This is certainly a neglected sense in my life and perhaps in yours as well. Proverbs 15:33a says, “The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom…” and 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

Where is fear? Do you and I really “fear the Lord?” Wilhemus A’Brakel (1635-1711), a Dutch theologian, in his A Christian’s Reasonable Service wrote,

It is not sufficient to be on guard against the sins which are contrary to the fear of God; rather, it is our great duty to conquer them all by the fear of God. The livelier the fear of God is, the less sin will have any effect. Therefore in the future commit yourself fully to tenderly fear the Lord your God in order that the fear of God may guard you and direct your thoughts, words, and deeds. Oh, if only I could make you more lively in this! Give careful attention to the following incentives; may you be tender and pliable. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Theology, by Les

April 29, 2008 • 6:33 am 0

Does This Seem Wright?

As seen in Investor’s Business Daily:

Wright Moves On Up 

INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY

 

Posted 3/31/2008

Election ‘08: What could be worse than an Afro-Marxist preacher exhorting thousands of blacks to hate whites and swear off their middle-class materialism? One who does the exact opposite.

Barack Obama had hoped Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Politics, Preaching & Preachers, by Les

• 1:03 am 2

Evangelical, or What?

I’m thinking about a new name. Is Evangelical still worthy of our use? I wonder. So, what about “Christian?

There is nothing wrong with “Christian,” of course. Let’s see: Billy Graham, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Hillary and Bill and I use that title.

So, how about Evangelical? There is John Piper, RC Sproul, Joel Osteen, Pat Robertson and Brian McClaren…and me.

Protestant? Well, there we have Chuck Colson, John Stott, Rev. Joyce Meyers, Kenneth Copeland…and me.

Reformed. Now I like that, because I am. It is an adjective like Evangelical. But it doesn’t work so easily. It doesn’t flow like Evangelical. “Oh, I am an Evangelical.” Oh I am a Reformed…” I suppose I could just say, Oh, I am Reformed.”

Anyway, I do think that Evangelical has lost some of it’s great historic meaning. Reformed will set one apart from most of the unsavory elements of Evangelicalism.

So, I guess I am just Reformed. What about you? What do you think? Is there a better word?

Filed under: Christianity, Evangelicals, Protestants, Reformed Faith, by Les

April 27, 2008 • 5:08 pm 0

The Next Survivor Series

The following must have been designed by a woman. But I am wondering: do they really think we couldn’t pull this off?

The Next Survivor Series… Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Funny, Men & Women , ,

• 6:27 am 4

Advice for Sabbath-Keeping

Rick Phillips has provided some pastoral advice on Sabbath-keeping aver at Reformation 21. This pastor’s letter is very well worth your read.

He writes

The Fourth Commandment says that on the Lord’s Day “you shall not do any work” (Ex. 20:10).  This means that each of us should rest from whatever is our typical work.  Students should set aside their books; businessmen should set aside their business; housewives should set aside their chores.  We are to rest from our normal labor.  Isaiah 58:13 adds that we are to refrain “from doing your pleasure on my holy day… not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly.”  This tells us that the day is to be set aside for worshiping, fellowshipping with God, and enjoying his spiritual blessings.

 

Rev. Phillips goes on to give eight practical bullet points on Sabbath-keeping. I commend this article to you.

Filed under: Sabbath ,

April 25, 2008 • 8:48 am 2

Theological Ethics for Internet Discourse

Jordan Ballor at the Acton Institute wrote a helpful piece on the subject. He writes in part

In the post-industrial Information age, Christians remain at the forefront of social and cultural formation. In the context of the developments at the dawn of the third millennium, the engagement of church and culture has taken on a new form, focused most especially on new forms of technology and communication. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Blogging, Culture, Theology, Uncategorized , , ,

April 24, 2008 • 11:10 pm 2

The Courage To Be Protestant

David Wells’ newest book by the same title has hit the bookstores. I can’t wait to get a copy. Wells is so insightful and such a good writer. Here are a few snippets.

“The key to the future is not the capitulation that we see in both the marketers and the emergents.  It is courage.  The courage to be faithful to what Christianity in its biblical forms has always stood for across the ages” (p. 21).

“[T]his transformation of Christianity into Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Apologetics, Books, Christianity, Doctrine, Ecclesiology, Emerging Church, Evangelicals, Protestants , , , , , , , ,

• 9:48 am 26

PCA Distinctives

Are we losing them? Gage Browning believes we might be. I think Gage is right.

First, the PCA will deal with an overture this summer at General Assembly asking for a study committee to deal with the ordination of women to the office of deacon. You can read the overture here. I do hope and pray that the GA study committee will Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Denominationalism, Doctrine, Theology, Women , , , ,

April 23, 2008 • 4:24 pm 1

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Trailer

Filed under: Film

• 9:55 am 4

What About the Poor?

How are we as individual Christians and local churches to respond to the poor? Is there a distinction to be made between the role of the local church and the individual Christian on this important subject?

This is an important subject and one on which Christians do not all agree. In my opinion, the statement below by the elders at Capital Hill Baptist Church reflect well my views on the subject. I supply it here with permission. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Gospel, Missions, The Church

April 22, 2008 • 8:28 am 1

New Link-Sean Lucas

We are pleased to add Dr. Sean Lucas’ blog to the blogroll. Dr. Lucas is the Chief Academic Officer and Associate Professor of Church History at Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis. He is also now a contributor to the Reformation 21 blog.

Here is a recent sample from Dr. Lucas’ blog as he quotes Horatius Bonar

Many of our young men are more afraid of being reckoned Calvinistic than Platonic; they shrink from bold and definite statements of Reformation doctrine, lest they should be pronounced “not abreast of the age”–stereotyped, if not imbecile. Indefinite language, mystical utterances, negative or defective statements, which will save the speaker’s or writer’s orthodoxy without compromising his reputation for “intellect” and “liberality”–these are becoming common. Many are doing their best to serve two masters, to preach two gospels, to subscribe two confessions of faith, to worship two Gods, to combine to religions, to grasp two worlds; they would fain be neither very evangelical nor very heretical.

The quote above is from his post On Trading Fidelity to Past Truth for Present Relevancy.

Filed under: Blogs

April 21, 2008 • 5:46 pm 1

Reaching Catholics With the Gospel

To piggyback on the Al Mohler post, here are some links to resources which provide help in reaching Roman Catholics with the gospel.

Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

Proclaiming the Gospel

 

 

Filed under: Gospel

• 10:08 am 2

Clothed to Fight Abortion

I ran across this t-shirt and the abort73 website over at The Rebelution. By the way, The Rebelution is a site and blog where young people will be challenged to live for Christ like no other youth oriented site I know of.

Here is what abort73 stands for Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Abortion, Youth

• 8:02 am 0

Al Mohler on the Pope

Quoted in Baptist Press:

“The Roman Catholic Church believes that evangelicals are in spiritual danger for obstinately and disobediently excluding ourselves from submission to its universal claims and its papacy,” Mohler wrote. “Evangelicals are concerned that Catholics are in spiritual danger for their submission to these very claims. We both understand what is at stake.

“The divide between evangelical Christians and the Roman Catholic Church remains — as this Pope well understands. And, in so many ways, this is a Pope we can understand. In this strange world, that is no small achievement.”

Read the article here.

If Mohler is correct, and I think he is, how are we to respond to our RC friends and family members? At least at one level, and the most important level, we need Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Protestants

April 18, 2008 • 5:43 pm 4

Together for the Gospel 2008 [Updated]

The Together for the Gospel lineup:

Session I Ligon Duncan – Sound Doctrine – Essential to Faithful Pastoral Ministry  (Talks about Scot McKnight)

Session II Thabiti Anyabwile – Bearing the Image: Identity, the Work of Christ, and the Church

Session III John MacArthur – The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing: The Doctrine of Absolute Inability (Talks about contextualization)

Session IV Mark Dever – Improving the Gospel: Exercises in Unbiblical Theology

Session V RC Sproul – The Curse Motif of the Atonement

Session VI Albert Mohler – Why Do They Hate It So? The Doctrine of Substitution

Session VII John Piper – How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice

Session VIII CJ Mahaney – Sustaining a Pastor’s Soul

Listen here.

Filed under: Doctrine, Preaching, Theology

• 6:32 am 1

Calling all you religious…paranoid…conspiracy theorists, and the ignorant

Yeah, you. You know who you are. You are the people out there who do not believe in Darwinian evolution.

Ben Stein’s new movie Expelled opens today nationwide and looks pretty promising as it exposes the bias and intolerance of liberals in this country, especially in academia. Brent Bozell, a columnist at Townhall.com wrote

Ben Stein’s extraordinary presentation documents how the worlds of science and academia not only crush debate on the origins of life, but also crush the careers of professors who dare to question the Darwinian hypothesis of evolution and natural selection.

Stein asks a simple question: What if the universe began with an intelligent designer, a designer named God? Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Culture, Film, Religion, Theology

April 17, 2008 • 1:27 pm 1

Blogging the T4G Conference in Louisville

Lig Duncan, Thabiti Anyabwile, RC Sproul, John MacArthur, Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney, Al Mohler. All in one place.

The Together for the Gospel 2008 conference is going on right now. Tim Challies is live blogging from the conference and the sessions are superb. You need to look in on this outstanding conference!

Filed under: Culture, Doctrine, Preaching, Theology

April 16, 2008 • 4:02 pm 1

It Has Been a Year

My dad died a year ago, April 15th, 2007. My sisters and I put the following in the local newspaper for the April 17th edition.

God gave you many years on earth,
you lived them rich and full;
You touched so many lives, we know,
and gave yourself away.
 
Then when He called you home, we knew,
Your work on earth was done;
But still our tears were flowing strong,
our hearts were filled with loss;
 
Yet when from mortal life you left,
our comfort came from God;
We know you’re with Him now in glory,
and in that we can trust.
Proverbs 10:7a says, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing…”

Filed under: Personal

April 12, 2008 • 11:35 pm 0

Scotland’s Need

I had the wonderful privilege to visit in Scotland in 2003 and 2004 doing mission/evangelistic work. Scotland is a beautiful country with many warm and friendly people.

In 2004, St. Peter’s Free Church in Dundee was one of our stops. We spent a couple of days in Dundee and helped St. Peter’s do some canvassing for an event they were to be holding soon thereafter. David Robertson is the minister there and does an outstanding job. You may or may not recognize that St. Peter’s Church is the one where Robert Murray McCheyne ministered. In fact while we were there, we helped Rev. Robertson with his new book presentation and signing in a bookstore in Dundee. The book being released then is titled Awakening, The Life and Ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne. I posted on McCheyne over on my older blog back in December. You can read that post here.

Enough background. What is Scotland’s need? In one sense, Scotland’s need Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Culture, Preaching

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